KIWI PRO WATCH: LEE FIGHTS BACK IN FINAL ROUND

16/07/2012

New Zealand No.1 Danny Lee has climbed 30 places in the final round of the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour after firing a five under par 66 at the TPC Deere Run course in Illinois.

The 21-year-old Korean born Kiwi, who is projected to climb to 148 in the Fed Ex Cup Standings, made seven birdies and two bogeys to finish tied 30th.

Lee finished 10 shots back from Americans Zach Johnson and Troy Matteson who carded a 20 under par total before Johnson prevailed on the second hole of the playoff with an incredible shot from the fairway bunker sealing the win.

The former World No.1 amateur has now made the cut in nine out of 17 events and been disqualified twice in his maiden year on the PGA Tour.

His best result remains a tie for 19that the Byron Nelson Championship in May and he has some ground to make up in the next few weeks if he is going to make the top 125 and qualify for the Fed Ex Cup Playoff which begins at The Barclays on August 23- 26.

Meantime on the web.com Tour, formerly Nationwide Tour, Manawatu professional Tim Wilkinson dropped 12 places in the final round of the Utah Championship to finish tied 29th.

The former PGA Tour pro, who is currently 49thon the Order of Merit, carded an even par final round at the Willow Creek Country Club to finish on an eight under par total, seven shots back from the winning score of American Doug LaBelle II.

Fellow Kiwi Steven Alker, who is currently 63rdon the Order of Merit, missed the Utah Championship as he prepares for the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes as the only Kiwi in the field.

Alker will play in his third major championship at the 140thOpen Championship which will be staged at the same course that Bob Charles famously won at in 1963.

Closer to home New Zealand professionals Doug Holloway and Jared Pender have finished in a share of third place at the City of Mackay Open in North Queensland after heavy rained forced play to be abandoned in the final round.

Holloway and Pender both carded rounds of seven under par 64 at the Mackay Golf Club in round one of the two day pro-am on Queensland’s Tropo Tour to finish one back from Australians Adam Crawford (QLD) and Daniel Fox (WA) who were declared joint winners when rain abandoned play.

The Kiwi pair earned $3000 (NZ) for their effort in North Queensland and will play two more two day pro-am tournaments this week.

Compatriot Pieter Zwart had a four under par 67 to finish tied 15th, while Sven Puymbroeck and Jim Cusdin had rounds of two under par 69 to claim a share of 36thplace.

Wellington professional Mark Brown missed the cut at the Credit Suisse Challenge on Europe’s Challenge Tour.

The former European Tour player carded rounds of 73 and 70 to finish on a one over par total and miss the cut by two shot in Lucerne.